Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A display system comprising: a light guidance substrate; a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and a plurality of sources for the light optically coupled to the light guidance substrate, light from the sources propagating through the light guidance substrate by total internal reflection, the sources comprising: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light, wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image; and wherein the source of visible light operates in a selected manner interchangeably with the source of non-visible light to display the visible light image for a first period of time and to display the non-visible light image for a second period of time.
2. The display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the non-visible light comprises infrared light.
3. The display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the non-visible light comprises ultraviolet light.
4. The display system as recited in claim 1 , additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates total internal reflection.
5. The display system as recited in claim 1 , wherein the source of visible light is configured to provide red, green and blue light.
6. In a display system, a method comprising: propagating light from a plurality of light sources through a light guidance substrate by total internal reflection to illuminate a plurality of pixels, the plurality of light sources comprising: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light; operating the pixels to display a visible light image when the light from the visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate; and operating the pixels to display a non-visible light image when the light from the non-visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate; wherein the source of visible light operates in a selected manner interchangeably with the source of non-visible light to display the visible light image for a first period of time and to display the non-visible light image for a second period of time.
7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the non-visible light comprises ultraviolet light.
8. The method as recited in claim 6 , additionally comprising selectively frustrating total internal reflection using a moveable element.
9. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the non-visible light comprises infrared light.
10. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the source of visible light is configured to provide red, green, and blue light.
11. The display system as recited in claim 2 , additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates total internal reflection.
12. The display system as recited in claim 11 , wherein the source of visible light and the source of infrared light are alternately activated.
13. The method as recited in claim 9 , additionally comprising selectively frustrating the total internal reflection using a moveable element.
14. The method as recited in claim 13 , wherein the source of visible light and the source of infrared light are alternately activated.
15. A display system comprising: a light guidance substrate; a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and a plurality of sources for the light optically coupled to the light guidance substrate, light from the sources propagating through the light guidance substrate by total internal reflection, the sources comprising: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light, wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image; and wherein the sources of visible light and non-visible light are alternately activated in a field sequential manner.
16. The display system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the visible and non-visible images are displayed via the display system through a single display screen.
17. In a display system, a method comprising: propagating light from a plurality of light sources through a light guidance substrate by total internal reflection to illuminate a plurality of pixels, the plurality of light sources comprising: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light; operating the pixels to display a visible light image when the light from the visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate; operating the pixels to display a non-visible light image when the light from the non-visible light source propagates through the light guidance substrate; and alternately activating the sources of the visible light and non-visible light in a field sequential manner.
18. The method as recited in claim 17 , further comprising displaying the visible and non-visible images using a single display screen.
19. The display system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the visible and non-visible images are displayed on the single display screen in an interleaving manner.
20. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein the visible and non-visible images are displayed on the single display screen in an interleaving manner.
21. A display system comprising: a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and a plurality of sources for the light, the sources comprising: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light, wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image, wherein the display system is configured to operate in: a first mode in which only the visible light is emitted; a second mode in which only the non-visible light is emitted; and a third mode in which the visible light and the non-visible light are emitted in an interleaving manner.
22. A display system comprising: a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and a plurality of sources for the light, the sources comprising: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light, wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image, wherein the display system is configured to operate in: a first mode in which only the source of visible light is turned on to cause the visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels; a second mode in which only the source of non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels; and a third mode in which the source of visible light and the source of non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light and non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels in an interleaving manner.
23. A display system comprising: a plurality of pixels each operable for emitting light in a pre-selected manner; and a plurality of sources for the light, the sources comprising: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light, wherein when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a visible light image, and wherein when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, the display system is configured to display a non-visible light image, wherein the display system is configured to operate in: a first mode in which only the source of visible light is turned on to cause the visible light image to be displayed; a second mode in which only the source of non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light image to be displayed; and a third mode in which the source of visible light and the source of non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light image and the non-visible light image to be displayed by the display system in an interleaving manner.
24. In a display system, a method comprising: operating a plurality of pixels to produce an image therefrom; and selecting from a plurality of light sources to run through the plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light; displaying a visible light image when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels; and displaying a non-visible light image when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, wherein the display system is configured to operate in: a first mode in which only the visible light is emitted; a second mode in which only the non-visible light is emitted; and a third mode in which the visible light and the non-visible light are emitted in an interleaving manner.
25. In a display system, a method comprising: operating a plurality of pixels to produce an image therefrom; and selecting from a plurality of light sources to run through the plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light; displaying a visible light image when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels; and displaying a non-visible light image when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, wherein the display system is configured to operate in: a first mode in which only the source of the visible light is turned on to cause the visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels; a second mode in which only the source of the non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels; and a third mode in which the source of the visible light and the source of the non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light and non-visible light to be emitted from the plurality of pixels in an interleaving manner.
26. In a display system, a method comprising: operating a plurality of pixels to produce an image therefrom; and selecting from a plurality of light sources to run through the plurality of pixels, wherein the plurality of light sources comprises: a source of visible light; and a source of non-visible light; displaying a visible light image when the visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels; and displaying a non-visible light image when the non-visible light is emitted from the plurality of pixels, wherein the display system is configured to operate in: a first mode in which only the source of the visible light is turned on to cause the visible light image to be displayed; a second mode in which only the source of the non-visible light is turned on to cause the non-visible light image to be displayed; and a third mode in which the source of the visible light and the source of the non-visible light are turned on and off in an interleaving manner to cause the visible light image and the non-visible light image to be displayed by the display system in an interleaving manner.
27. The display system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the non-visible light comprises infrared light.
28. The display system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the non-visible light comprises ultraviolet light.
29. The display system as recited in claim 15 , additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates the total internal reflection.
30. The display system as recited in claim 15 , wherein the source of visible light is configured to provide red, green and blue light.
31. The display system as recited in claim 27 , additionally comprising a moveable element that selectively frustrates total internal reflection.
32. The display system as recited in claim 31 , wherein the source of visible light and the source of infrared light are alternatively activated.
Unknown
December 13, 2011
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.